Venice settles demotion suit

For slightly more than $20,000, the Venice City Council on Tuesday settled a lawsuit filed by city Finance Director Jeffery Snyder.

The lawsuit stemmed from Mayor John Holic's demotion of Snyder in February 2012 from a charter officer who answers directly to the City Council to a department head who answers to City Manager Ed Lavallee.

Holic said he had no choice because previous administrations failed to act on a decision made by the electorate. In a 2006 referendum, 56 percent of more than 9,000 voters revised the city charter to change the finance director's job description.

About four months later, Snyder sued — citing his February 2006 employment contract. He claimed that, because the city voided that contract, it owed him $65,520 in severance pay as well as any lost benefits.

The settlement does not call for any severance pay but does require the city to put $20,008 into a retirement account for Snyder established under his contract. The city did not make those payments during the 15 months of litigation because it considered the contract terminated.

Council members approved the agreement 6-0. Holic could not attend because of a death in his family.

Snyder declined to comment.

Council member Emilio Carlesimo noted that defending the case cost the city's insurer $24,000 and the city more than $6,700 in attorney fees.

Carlesimo said the lawsuit stemmed from “a unilateral action by the mayor” and that Holic probably should have consulted the council before he demoted Snyder.

“We're talking about procedure here,” Carlesimo said.

Other council members agreed with him that they should schedule an informal discussion about what decisions should be made collectively and the elected officials' duties as described in the city charter.

The change in job description allowed Snyder to keep his salary, which for the coming fiscal year will be $132,350. He lost his reserved parking spot and his seat on the dais with the council, city manager and city attorney.